19
I
was worried about the potential stress on the mast step
so rigged up a wire strop arrangement to take the strain
back to the shroud plates. I think this works? I have been
caught out in a force seven off Dartmouth and it all held
up well, but it makes it a struggle to get forward without
snapping off the quick release hooks on the wires.
I feel this area around the mast step is subject to a lot
of strain. I had an X boat years ago and had suffered
the same problem and was tempted to stiffened up this
area with another floor and I’m tempted to do this on the
Folkboat.
The secondhand mast had a rotten section just below
the hounds and my great advisor, Tony Smee, said
that he had seen this problem before and was worth a
repair. I chopped out the bad bit and scarphed in a fairly
long section of cedar and, with the aid of West Systems
epoxy resin, has held up very well with no movement.
The heads, just forward of the mast has never been
used in anger it being so difficult to get to, let alone use.
I am very tempted to take it out and use the space for
the anchor stowage and get a stronger bucket.
The 2017 season was amazingly brilliant. The real test
came when I had the opportunity to sail in company with
the Old Gaffers Association on their summer cruise to
the Scilly Isles. A tad ambitious maybe, but worth a shot.
The boat performed really very well. Proved herself in
decent seas, strong winds and only two breakages.
Swift’s Restoration
